A students’ lawyer. That is the whole practice.
Student defense lawyer for college, graduate, and professional students.
Academic dismissal, Title IX and conduct charges, denied accommodations, FERPA disputes, and litigation — for students nationwide.
$1,000 flat fee, including the Game Plan session.
What kind of proceeding this is
A campus case is not a criminal case and it is not a lawsuit. It is a process the school designed, runs, and decides, under rules it wrote in its own handbook. There is no judge, the rules of evidence do not apply, and the people deciding usually work for the institution. That does not make the outcome small. A finding of responsibility, a dismissal, or a notation on a transcript can reach a degree, a residency or a match, a professional license, and a visa.
Professionalism findings, which behave differently
In medical, nursing, dental, pharmacy, PA, and law programs, the most consequential finding is often not a conduct charge at all. It is a professionalism or fitness-for-practice concern — a broad standard, applied by faculty, sometimes to conduct that happened nowhere near a classroom, with no specific rule cited and no real hearing. These attach to a file, follow a student into remediation and promotions-committee review, and surface again at licensure and character-and-fitness. They are also the ones students most often try to handle alone, because they do not arrive looking like charges.
Why timing decides more than it should
These matters run on the school’s calendar. Response deadlines and appeal windows are commonly measured in business days, and they are rarely extended. Much of what determines the outcome happens early — what you said in the first meeting, what went into the file, what was given up by not being raised — before most students think they need a lawyer.
What a students’ lawyer does
Read the policy the school is bound by, and hold it to that policy. Control what goes into the record, because the record is what an appeal panel reads and what a court reviews later. Meet every deadline and make every argument in writing at the stage where it still counts. Sometimes that is quiet work inside the process. Sometimes it is an OCR complaint, an injunction, or a suit.
Start here
What has your school done?
Pick the closest match. Each page explains the process, the deadlines that usually apply, and what a lawyer actually does at that stage.
Deadlines in campus proceedings are often measured in days. (561) 308-9119
The clock
Where are you in this?
What is still open to you depends less on what you are called than on how far the process has already gone. Find the last thing that happened.
- 01A letter, an email, a request to meetNothing formal yet. The most room you will ever have, and the stage where an off-the-record conversation does the most damage.What to do first →
- 02A charge, or a hearing dateThe allegation is written down and a process is running on the school’s calendar. Everything you do now goes into a record someone reads later.Find the matter that matches →
- 03A decision, and an appeal windowThe shortest clock on this site. Appeal windows are commonly five to ten business days, and they are rarely extended.Appeals and reinstatement →
- 04The appeal is decidedThe campus process is finished. What is left sits outside it — an OCR complaint, a demand, an injunction, a suit.What is left after the appeal →
- 05It is over, and it is on your recordA transcript notation, a dean’s letter, a disclosure you will have to make for years. Some of it can still be corrected long after the fact.Records, and what follows you →
Not sure which one you are in? Send me the last thing the school sent you — zachary@astudentslawyer.com
Fees
What this costs
Flat fees for each stage of the work, set out here rather than quoted on a call.
- Full Read + Game Plan$1,000Every document read, then a working session on what to do and in what order. Credited toward a later engagement when its agreement says so in writing.
- Second opinions$1,000I evaluate the game plan you are already on.
- FERPA & education recordsvariesGetting your file, challenging what is in it, and forcing access when a school stalls. Priced on its own when that is all you need, folded in when it is part of a larger matter.
- School accommodationstypically $2,000Reviewing your request and documentation, with drafting support and preparation. Scope and fee vary with the school and issues.
- Board & licensing examsfrom $2,500Testing-accommodation requests from $2,500; appeal-only work from $3,000. Scope, testing history and prior denials affect the fee.
- Ongoing counsel — monthlyarranged to fitSome clients keep me engaged for a semester or a year.
- Representation & advocacyfrom $5,000Standing in the process with you, in writing and in the room.
- Campus due-process hearingsfrom $10,000Full hearing representation, preparation through outcome.
Litigation is quoted case by case. It is not possible to give legal advice on your situation without first reading the documents and the background, and that review takes however long it takes — there is no clock on it. Every fee, and what each one includes
A parent or family member funding the work is common and permitted — the parents’ page covers what helps and what backfires.
$1,000 flat, agreed in writing before work begins. Any credit toward later representation is stated in that later agreement.
Turnaround
I aim to finish by the end of the week your complete file arrives.
The session
No time limit, and no second session billed because the first ran long.
Afterwards
Seven days of follow-up questions by email, included.
A practice focused on students
I concentrate on education law and student–university disputes — not a side practice.
Campus proceedings to court
From internal hearings and appeals to litigation in federal and state court when needed.
Candid, direct assessments
A clear read on your options and risks before you commit to a course of action.
Discreet, conflicts-first intake
Start with a brief message; records come later, through secure instructions.
From the first notice to the final ruling — here's where I step in.
Title IX & Conduct Defense
In the hearing as your advisor where the rules allow it, and behind the scenes where they don't — from first notice through the final appeal.
Academic Dismissal & Program Appeals
Appeals built on the school's own written rules and aimed at reinstatement — for undergraduates through medical, nursing, and law students.
Disability Accommodations (504/ADA)
Securing the accommodations the law requires, and enforcing them when the school falls short.
FERPA & Your Record
Getting the complete file, correcting what's wrong, and turning the record into leverage.
Court, When It's Warranted
Emergency injunctions, breach-of-contract claims, and civil-rights litigation in federal and state court.
Second Opinions & Urgent Strategy
A fast, candid read on your options before a deadline closes — even if you already have counsel.
Not sure where your situation fits? That's exactly what the Full Read + Game Plan is for.
A campus decision can follow a student for years.
A finding of misconduct, a dismissal, or a denied accommodation is not just a grade — it can derail a degree, a graduate placement, a residency or match, a professional license, and a career. Every case is intensely fact-specific, and the real stakes — lost time, a derailed trajectory, a lasting mark on a record — often cannot be reduced to a dollar figure. These matters also move quickly, on the institution's calendar and the institution's rules, and the windows to respond or appeal are often short and unforgiving.
My role is to level that field: to read the policies the school is bound by, protect the record, meet every deadline, and press the strongest good-faith arguments available — quietly inside the process where that is what the situation calls for, and in court where it is not.
Who I represent
Representation across the disputes students actually face.
Select an area to learn more, or view the full list. These summaries are general information about the matters I handle — not legal advice about your situation.
Campus Discipline & Conduct
- Academic Misconduct & Honor Code
- Accused of Using AI
- Campus Alcohol Violations
- Campus Drug Allegations
- Code of Conduct Charges & Hearings
- Dating Violence Allegations
- Domestic Violence Allegations
- Exam Cheating Allegations
- Hazing & Student Organization Discipline
- Interim Suspension
- No-Contact Orders
- Off-Campus Conduct & Social Media
- Parenting Students
- Plagiarism Accusations
- Pregnancy Discrimination
- Race Discrimination
- Religious Accommodations
- Religious Discrimination
- Remote Proctoring Flags
- Stalking Allegations
- Student-on-Student Conflicts & Bullying
- Threat Assessment & CARE Team Referrals
- Title IX & Sexual Misconduct
- Title IX Appeals
- Title IX Hearings & Cross-Examination
- Title IX Sanctions
- Unequal Discipline
- Weapons & Campus Safety Allegations
Academic Standing & Progression
- Academic Dismissal
- Academic Probation
- Academic Suspension
- Academic Warning
- Arbitrary & Capricious Academic Decisions
- Degree Revocation
- Failing to Clear Probation
- Forced Medical Withdrawal
- Grade Disputes & Appeals
- Leave of Absence
- Readmission After Dismissal
- Registration Blocks
- Reinstatement After Dismissal
- Rescinded Admission: When a College Pulls Your Offer
- Retroactive Withdrawal
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeals
- Suspension Appeals
- Transcript Holds
Professional & Graduate Programs
- Deceleration: Being Moved Off the Standard Timeline
- Dental School Dismissal
- Failed a Clinical, Rotation or Externship
- Graduate & Doctoral Program Dismissal
- Health Professions Program Dismissal
- Law School Dismissal & Academic Standing
- Medical School Dismissal & Remediation
- Nursing School Dismissal
- PA Program Dismissal
- Pharmacy School Dismissal
- Physical & Occupational Therapy Program Dismissal
- Professionalism & Fitness-to-Practice Findings
- Promotion & Progress Committee Decisions
- Remediation in Professional Programs
- Repeating a Year
- Research Misconduct & Dissertation Integrity
Student Rights & Accommodations
- Disability Accommodations — 504 & ADA
- Discrimination Against Students
- Due Process at Public Institutions
- FERPA Lawyer for College Students
- Free Speech, Protest & Expression on Campus
- Harassment & Hostile Environment
- International Students: Discipline, Visa Status & SEVIS
- Retaliation Against Students
- Student Government & Organization Issues
- Testing Accommodations: LSAT, MCAT, USMLE, NCLEX & Bar
Litigation & Relief
- Breach of Contract Against Universities
- Class Actions Against Universities
- Emergency Court Orders (TRO & Injunction)
- OCR Complaints & Federal Agency Filings
- Private Student Loan Disputes
- Settlement & Negotiated Resolutions with Schools
- Suing a University for Discrimination
- Title VI: Antisemitism, Islamophobia & Shared Ancestry
- When a Court Will Review Your School’s Decision
Campus Discipline & Conduct
Academic Standing & Progression
Professional & Graduate Programs
Student Rights & Accommodations
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Retaliation Against Students
You do not have to win the underlying complaint to win a retaliation claim. That is why it is frequently the strongest thing in the file — and the most overlooked.
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Harassment & Hostile Environment
A hostile environment claim is not about the harasser. It is about what the school did after it knew — which is why the first thing to build is proof that it knew.
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Free Speech, Protest & Expression on Campus
At a public college the First Amendment applies, and there is no general exception for offensive speech. At a private school it generally does not apply, but the school’s own promises of free expression often do.
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International Students: Discipline, Visa Status & SEVIS
For an international student, a conduct case is two problems: the campus process and your immigration status. A suspension or dismissal typically ends your SEVIS record, and that runs on a different calendar.
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Student Government & Organization Issues
A student government can usually remove you, if it follows its own constitution. Removals are often run without written charges, notice, or a chance to respond before the vote, and that is where the defense lives.
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Testing Accommodations: LSAT, MCAT, USMLE, NCLEX & Bar
The ADA covers every entity that gives admission, licensing, or certification exams. “Substantially limited” does not mean unable: a candidate who reads accurately but far more slowly may qualify.
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Discrimination Against Students
Federal law bars schools from discriminating on race, national origin, sex or disability, and from punishing students who complain. What brings most people here is not the original incident but what happened after they reported it.
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Due Process at Public Institutions
Students at public colleges are entitled to constitutional due process when the school threatens their enrollment. Discipline generally requires notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard; academic decisions, less.
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FERPA Lawyer for College Students
FERPA gives you the right to inspect your education records, seek correction of anything inaccurate or misleading, and limit disclosure. At a college the rights belong to the student, and the school must allow inspection within 45 days.
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Disability Accommodations — 504 & ADA
Section 504 and the ADA protect college and graduate students with disabilities. The usual problems: an accommodation refused, one approved but never delivered, or a dismissal that ignores the disability.
Litigation & Relief
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Class Actions Against Universities
Some things a school does to you, it did to everyone. The test is whether your damages can be worked out the same way as everybody else’s — and that question decides the case.
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Title VI: Antisemitism, Islamophobia & Shared Ancestry
Title VI covers race, color and national origin, not religion as such. OCR reads it to reach antisemitism and anti-Muslim discrimination through shared ancestry.
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Settlement & Negotiated Resolutions with Schools
Most student matters end in a negotiated resolution, not a reversal or a trial. The terms that get the least attention and cause the most damage later are records treatment and reference language.
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OCR Complaints & Federal Agency Filings
An OCR complaint asks the federal government to investigate your school. It is free, but OCR does not represent you, cannot award damages, and cannot reverse a grade, a dismissal, or a disciplinary finding.
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When a Court Will Review Your School’s Decision
Courts review the how, not the what: they will not re-weigh evidence or re-grade work. And in nearly every case, you have to finish the school’s own appeal before a judge will look at it.
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Emergency Court Orders (TRO & Injunction)
Some decisions cannot wait for an internal appeal, like an imminent suspension or a removal from a clinical placement. In federal court, a TRO or injunction requires a real showing on all four factors, not a sympathetic story.
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Breach of Contract Against Universities
At a private school the handbook and catalog are the contract. You will not persuade a judge that a committee weighed your explanation incorrectly; you may persuade one that it never held the hearing the handbook promised.
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Private Student Loan Disputes
Private student loans carry far fewer federal protections; the promissory note governs almost every argument. Loan trouble usually follows a withdrawal or dismissal, so fixing the academic record is often the faster fix.
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Suing a University for Discrimination
In a suit against a school over harassment or discrimination, the case is usually not about the original misconduct. It is about what the school knew, when it knew it, and what it did next.
How an engagement actually works.
Every case is different, and timelines vary. This is the general approach I bring to a student matter.
Engagement in writing
Scope and fee are set out in a signed agreement before any work begins, so you know what you are getting and what it costs.
You send me everything
The notice or charge letter, the policy or handbook section it cites, every email and message, the transcript or evaluation at issue, and your own account of what happened. If you are not sure whether something matters, send it anyway — working that out is my job. Then I read all of it, and there is no clock on how long that takes.
A real working meeting
Not a consultation — a working session on your file. In person, by video, or by phone, with no time limit: straight answers and a plain list of what to do next.
Follow-up, then advocacy if needed
Seven days of follow-up email questions come standard. Some matters need sustained advocacy after that; many do not — and I will tell you which yours is.
Facing a deadline? The sooner we talk, the more options you have.
Most appeal and response windows are measured in days. If a school has made an allegation, issued a dismissal, denied an appeal, or denied an accommodation, reach out today.
Common questions
Questions parents and students ask first
How fast do I need to act?
Usually quickly. Appeal windows after a finding or dismissal are often measured in days, not weeks, and the record you build early frequently shapes everything that follows. The sooner you involve counsel, the more options remain open. If you are facing a deadline, contact me as soon as possible.
Can a lawyer attend my campus hearing?
It depends on the school and the type of proceeding. Many institutions allow a student to bring an advisor but limit or prohibit the advisor from speaking — especially in academic and professional-program hearings. Even where my speaking role is restricted, I work behind the scenes: analyzing the policies, preparing you and your statement, drafting the appeal, and identifying where the school has violated its own rules or the law.
Are my rights different at a public versus a private school?
Yes. Public colleges and universities are bound by the Constitution, so students are entitled to due process. Private institutions are generally bound instead by contract — the handbook, catalog, and policies they publish — and by federal statutes like Title IX and Section 504. The strategy differs accordingly, and I tailor it to your school.
How does Title IX work right now?
The federal Title IX regulations have changed repeatedly between administrations and remain unsettled. After a federal court vacated the 2024 rule in January 2025, the U.S. Department of Education confirmed it is enforcing the 2020 regulations. Because this area can change on short notice, I assess every Title IX matter against the rules and your school's policies as they stand at that moment.
Will this affect my graduate plans, residency, or license?
It can. A misconduct finding or dismissal can surface in graduate admissions, professional licensing, and residency or match processes, and may appear on a transcript. That is exactly why these matters are worth taking seriously from the start, and why the goal is often not just resolving the immediate problem but protecting the record going forward.
What does it cost, and how does the Full Read work?
I'll discuss fees with you directly so you understand the arrangement before you commit, and I can shape the engagement to fit the matter. That can mean full representation, working behind the scenes in a consulting role, a focused second opinion at a reasonable, agreed cost, or staying on as ongoing or retainer counsel as a situation develops. The first step is the Full Read + Game Plan, so you understand your situation and deadlines. Contacting me or submitting the form does not, by itself, create an attorney–client relationship — that begins only once there is a signed engagement.